From November through February, common weather conditions and the elevated use of fireplaces and wood stoves raise the levels of fine particulate pollution (commonly called soot) in our air. Fine particulates cause breathing problems for many residents, especially the very young, the elderly, those with respiratory ailments such as asthma and those with heart disease.
To help reduce peak soot levels and protect the public health, Yolo-Solano AQMD runs an annual program called Don’t Light Tonight. From November 1 through the end of February each year, the District produces daily forecasts of expected particulate pollution. If the forecast exceeds a certain threshold — 78 AQI — Yolo-Solano AQMD will call a Don’t Light Tonight advisory. This advisory asks residents to refrain from using their fireplace or wood stove, as wood burning is a significant contributor to particulate pollution in our region.
Want to do your part and replace your open-hearth fireplace or older woodstove with a cleaner heating option? Learn about the District’s Woodsmoke Reduction Program.
Sign up for alerts at Enviroflash »
Don’t Light Tonight advisories include all residents of Yolo County and the northeastern portion of Solano County, including the cities of Vacaville, Dixon and Rio Vista, and their surrounding areas.
The City of Davis has its own code enforcement around nuisance burning. To find out more information click here.
Should I light tonight?
There are four ways to find out if there is a Don’t Light Tonight advisory in effect.
E-MAIL/TEXT:
Sign up for our EnviroFlash service, and you’ll receive an e-mail or text message alert when a Don’t Light Tonight advisory is called.
PHONE:
Call (530) 757-3787 for a recorded message with the daily Don’t Light Tonight status.
WEBSITE:
If an advisory has been called, a Don’t Light Tonight graphic will show up underneath the Air Quality Index widget on the front page of Yolo-Solano AQMD’s website.
FACEBOOK:
We will post all Don’t Light Tonight advisories on our Facebook page. Like us to get these posts delivered to your news feed.
Frequently Asked Questions
We have a list of frequently asked questions about Don’t Light Tonight. You can see the entire list, or skip to a specific topic
